Captain America: New World Order Star Anthony Mackie Speaks Out on Leading the Avengers

Anthony Mackie is opening up about the challenges Sam Wilson will face leading the Avengers as Captain America. Sam stepped up into steve Rogers' shoes, taking on the Captain America mantle, in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He'll carry that mantle into the upcoming Marvel Studios film Captain America: New World Order, and it's only a matter of time before the Avengers once again assemble and turn to the hero with the shield to lead them. Speaking to Empire Magazine for its latest issue, Mackie explained the situation that Sam finds himself in as Captain America, and how he's different from his predecessor and the rest of Marvel's superheroes.

"Sam is the only character without superpowers," Mackie said. "He's just a regular dude hanging out with a bunch of weirdos. Being from New Orleans, I've been in a few fights. And heart and charisma never helped me in a fight. That usually just got me beat up. So that might cause an issue when you go fight somebody like Thanos."

Mackie continued, "So, I think with him, he has to come to the stage with a very different understanding of what it is to be a good guy or be a bad guy and what are the decisions that make you toe that line in the way that you did," Mackie said. "So, I just see him as more of a humane Cap as opposed to a distinctive judge Cap -- [a] Cap of judgment, where this is right and this is wrong. There are decisions that make you choose right or wrong."

Sam Wilson Returns in Captain America: New World Order

Mackie will be suiting up as Captain America again soon. While out promoting his latest film We Have a Ghost, Mackie said. "We start in about a month, my bad, it's not January," Mackie smiled. "We start in about a month, so we're just kicking it off. Everybody's getting squared away, and we're ready to go!"

Mackie seemed especially eager to work with Harrison Ford, who is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as United States President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. "You know what, I'm gonna give him a full-breakdown and we're gonna compare notes," Mackie said. "I'm really excited about it."

Sam Wilson, Captain America is part of Marvel's new Avengers team

Marvel Comics recently announced its new Avengers team. Sam Wilson is there as Captain America, though it's Captain Marvel leading the charge in the comics.

"I'm extremely excited to be launching the latest chapter of Avengers with my old Black Cat teammate C.F. Villa!" Jed MacKay, the writer of the new Avengers series, said in a statement. "I grew up on the Avengers, weaving in and out of their 60s and 70s exploits as a kid, and having the opportunity to plot the course of Earth's Mightiest Heroes is a rush, especially coming from the street-level and/or weirdo niche I've been working in over the last couple of years. This is big, loud Avengers stuff—nothing in this story should ever feel small or inconsequential, and our lineup reflects that. Heavy hitters and iconic Avengers are to the fore—The Tribulation Events are coming, and only the Avengers can take them on."

Captain America: New World Order opens in theaters on May 3, 2024. Marvel's Avengers #1 goes on sale on May 17th.